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Welcome, everyone! We’re glad you’re here. Today we’ll talk about stress, especially what it feels like, how we handle it, and how knowing our own stress can help us as counselors. This group is about more than just learning. It’s a chance to practice sharing, listening, and supporting one another.

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Before we continue, let’s define stress. Stress is our body’s response to pressure or challenges, and it can appear in many ways. Physically, it might cause headaches, muscle tension, or fatigue. Emotionally, it can bring worry, irritability, or sadness. Behaviorally, it may affect daily habits like sleep, eating, or social life. Everyone experiences stress, but it shows up differently for each person

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1. First, we’ll share our own experiences with stress.

2. Next, we’ll think about how this awareness can guide us as counselors.

3. Finally, we’ll discuss how it can help us support future clients.

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My co-leader and I will lead the discussion, ask questions, and make sure everyone gets a chance to share.

Our group goals are simple. We want to share, reflect, and apply. We’ll share experiences, think about what they mean, and connect them to counseling practice. As we go through this presentation, I encourage everyone to take part and share during each question.

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To get us started and to bring everyone’s voice into the room, let’s do a quick check-in. In one word, describe how you’re feeling right now. There are no wrong answers!

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Thank you for sharing! This exercise gives us a good sense of where we’re starting as a group!

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Let’s begin with our first question. How do you experience stress?

Who would like to start?

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What do you notice in your body or actions when you feel stress? And what do you usually do to handle it?

There are no right or wrong answers!

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We’re going to pause for a quick activity to help us reflect on our own stress. Please grab a piece of paper and take 1–2 minutes to write.

1. Write down one thing that often causes you stress.

2. Write down two ways you usually notice stress in your body or mood.

3. Write down three small things you can do to help yourself feel better.

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In one short answer, what’s the biggest sign that you’re stressed?

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Based on what you just shared, how could knowing your own stress help you as a future counselor? How might understanding your stress patterns shape how you work with clients?

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Take one or two minutes to think about how knowing your own stress could help you as a counselor. What comes to mind? After a couple of minutes, I’ll invite you to share what you wrote.

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Now let’s focus on the client side. How could what you’ve learned about stress and yourself help you work with stressed clients?

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Let’s pause for a quick insight. Think of one way of knowing how your stress could help you support a client.

We will take two minutes to write it down. Then we’ll share with the group.

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Finally, how could your experience with stress help you relate to a client?

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Today, we learned that stress looks different for everyone, but noticing it can help us in life and in counseling. Being aware of it helps us stay steady, connect with clients, and be there for our clients. It also reminds us that growth is possible, even in hard times. Practicing these skills now prepares us to support future clients.

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Let’s take a minute or two to think about what we’ve learned today.

In a few sentences, share one or two things you’re taking away from this discussion today. It could be a new insight about your own stress, a reminder of something you want to practice, or how this connects to your future counseling work.

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As we wrap up, let’s do one last quick round. In one word, how are you leaving today’s discussion?

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Before we close, think of one small step you can try this week to manage stress. It doesn’t need to be big, just something simple and realistic. It can be noticing your stress signals, practicing a calming exercise, or journaling for a few minutes. What is something you can try?

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Thank you all for being here and sharing today! Your input made this a meaningful conversation. We hope you leave with something useful for yourself and your future clients.